


The Ring

by spicandspan



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, Future Fic, Gen, One Shot, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-24
Updated: 2014-12-24
Packaged: 2018-03-03 05:27:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2839694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spicandspan/pseuds/spicandspan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iris loses her mother's wedding band during a fifth grade field trip to the zoo. Seventeen years later, it finds her again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Ring

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by a couple of tumblr posts speculating that Barry will travel to the past to find the original ring when he proposes to Iris. A bad case of the feels ensued. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> http://eaglesforthecup.tumblr.com/post/104832143598/wait-wait-wait-wait-wait-i-mentioned-in-this
> 
> http://amuzed1.tumblr.com/post/104812843837/the-flash-does-time-travel-right

_2000_

“I can’t believe I lost it –"

“It’s not your fault!”

“It _is_ my fault, Barry!  Why’d I have to wear it when it was so big on me?  Why didn’t I put it on a chain like Dad said?”  Iris’s face was streaked with tears.  Roughly, she swiped at her cheeks with the sleeve of her sweater.  Always so careful to avoid getting dirty. 

“Come on kids! Let’s get back on the bus now!” Ms. Manning called.

Still, Iris continued to crawl around, fingers sifting desperately through the grass.  Barry glanced up from where he was kneeling on the ground.  His fingernails were encrusted with dirt and the knees of his jeans were scuffed. 

“Barry?  Iris?  Is everything all right?” Ms. Manning was standing in front of them.  She looked concerned, possibly from seeing her two of her star students grubbing around in front of the bonobo exhibit. 

“Iris’s ring is missing!” blurted Barry.  “We can’t find it.  Just five more minutes?”  He looked up at their teacher, hoping she would see how important this was.  Iris’s tears made Barry feel like he’d do anything to make them stop falling.

Ms. Manning sighed.  “I’m sorry.  The bus is leaving and we have to go if we’re ever going to get you kids back to school on time.  I’ll tell security about the ring, okay? With any luck, someone will have dropped it off at the lost and found.”

Iris nodded.  Her lower lip trembled, and Barry felt his heart clench.  He took Iris’s hand. She squeezed back, heedless of his grimy hand.

“We’ll find it, okay? You and me, we’ll come back tomorrow and look all over,” Barry promised.

“Thanks, Bear,” whispered Iris, voice roughened with tears.

Together they stood up and followed Ms. Manning back to the bus.  Barry mentally calculated how much allowance he would need to spend on their bus fares to get to the zoo.

Suddenly – out of the corner of his eye – a flash of red.  Barry spun around, but there was nothing there.

“Barry?  You coming?”  Iris waited up ahead.

Barry shook his head.  He was always on the lookout for the yellow blur that he was imagining things.

“Yeah, I’m coming.”  He jogged lightly to her side.  Where he belonged.

—

_2017_

Barry smiled to himself as he rolled Iris’s ring in the palm of his hand.  Maybe he’d cut it a little close by risking his past self seeing him… but it would be worth it to see the look on Iris’s face.

He took a deep breath and headed to their living room.  Iris was waiting.

**Author's Note:**

> This is actually my first ever fanfic, so any concrit is much appreciated! Thanks for reading :)


End file.
